i wanted to do a holiday-specific post here, but i'm running low on spooky thai stuff! the best i could find is this creepy gentleman... "lead dipped in gold", as the title goes. admittedly, i don't really have any idea what's going on here. thao dakdae is a comedian/singer from isaan, and this seems to be his only album? just some workstation-heavy 90's molam luk thung. enjoy! and check out some real thai ghost songs at radiodiffusion internasionaal, here and here, plus the fantastic "lady cat ghost" by the fox!

today marks the 100th post here at monrakplengthai, so in honor of the occasion, i've got an especially great tape to share. i don't know alot about monruedi's background, though i believe she now teaches at khon kaen university. she's well known for her skill in lam phu tai, a unique style of lam associated with the phu tai ethnic group of thailand & laos, which can be pretty difficult to find in commercial recordings. the music revolves around a slow, hypnotic khaen line, supplemented by electric phin and heavy percussion. combined with monruedi's fantastic versification, it makes for quite a record. hope you all enjoy this as much as i do!

this week, another great tape showcasing thailand's unique brass band tradition! the brass band was one of the earliest forms of western music to catch on in thailand, and has proved an enduring phenomenon with a distinct repertoire in addition to its borrowings. the band recorded here renders these tunes with great bombast; full-spectrum drum & horn, and even some thai traditional instruments in a few selections... it's a shame there's no credit given to the ensemble! in addition, it seems the compiler got a bit ambitious with the tracklist, since only 18 of the 24 songs listed seem to have fit onto the cassette. these factors, however, in no way diminish the greatness of this tape.. enjoy!

this week we'll hear once more from the biggest thai rock band of all time... the legendary carabao! often compared to u2, today carabao divide their time between music, social activism and corporate endorsements, but they came from a humbler beginning. founded in 1976 by two thai students studying in the philippines, carabao introduced a harder edge to the folksy pleng puea chiwit genre, bringing the genre to the national spotlight. this album, from 1986, features the band at their most electronic, replete with drum pads and synthesizer riffs, and even a few cues possibly taken from the fledgling industrial music scene of the time. enjoy!!

enchanting songs of thailand

a collection of great music made by the people of thailand; luk thung, luk krung, molam, regional folk styles & more. mostly recorded from tape, sound quality should be pretty good (unless stated otherwise). transliteration is done using the royal thai general system of transcription. feedback/re-upload requests/etc. always appreciated!